• Houston, TX
• Englishtown, NJ
• Brainerd, MN
• Las Vegas, NV

• Atlanta, GA
• St Louis, MO
• Memphis, TN
• Pomona, CA

• Columbus, OH
• Denver, CO
• Clermont, IN

• Chicago, IL
• Sonoma, CA
• Reading, PA

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Click here for the full story

Johnson had a busy weekend in Houston, entertaining, with WyoTech, students from the Houston School District while also competing in the second race for Pro Stock Motorcycles this season.

“No question about it,” he said. “We had our hands full, but honestly, I think we do better when the pressure’s on. We learned a lot this weekend, but we’re facing a steep learning curve until we can find the right person to take over as our crew chief. There are a lot of candidates out there, and we’ve heard from several people who are interested in joining our Snap-on Tools team, but we’re not going to make a hasty decision. Finding the right person to make the tuning calls can be the key to a successful 
season, and that’s our goal.”

Johnson opened qualifying with a 7.275 second elapsed time that was only good enough for the 14th spot on the list of potential qualifiers. He made a dramatic improvement of 0.107 seconds to a 7.168 second time two runs later, only to find himself going backwards to the 15th position. “That’s the kind of stuff that drives you crazy,” he said later with one of his characteristic grins. “You know you’ve made a pretty good run, and you turn off the track just hoping the time slip agrees with what you thought happened. And then you find out that even though you improved a ton, so did everyone else.

“Believe me, it never gets any easier, which is why we’re working so hard right now. I definitely believe that effort equals results.”

With that in mind Johnson’s team remained at Houston Raceway Park for testing on Monday, with the popular rider reporting, “Hey, we’re gonna set the world on fire. We just don’t know when!  But, we did notch a six-and-a-half second elapsed time today. Oh! Well, that was how long it took me to put my helmet on.

“Seriously, we did run some encouraging numbers today, but just as importantly, the gang really worked efficiently together, and we continued to figure out the things we have to do to make our Snap-on Tools Suzuki a winner when we hit the track in Atlanta for our next race on May 5th.”

Results:

             Qualifying:

                         Session #1 7.275/181.45 #14 (7.312 Bump)

                         Session #2 7.234/183.82 #16 (7.234 Bump)

                         Session #3 7.168/186.61 #14 (7.177 Bump)

                         Session #4 No Time/Electronic Malfunction



             Eliminations:

                         Round #1 0.050 R.T. 7.196/187.21 Lost to Antron Brown

                                           0.023 R.T. 7.191/186.92



             Currently Johnson is 15th in POWERade points and 10th in qualifying points for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle.

             Next:  NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, 
Atlanta (Commerce), GA May 5-7.

Johnson's season suffered an off-track setback when a four-wheeler accident ended in a broken kneecap for general manager and chief mechanic Tim Kulungian. "With Tim out for a bit, its put a huge strain on our team," he says. "We were still going to go testing until I got in there to help the guys, and in short, now we have a whole bunch of parts and a blown-up engine. But our second engine is just as good, and with a little luck, I know we can win the race."

While Kulungian recuperates, Johnson has added much-needed outside help. "Jordan Miclette is going to help us with the day to day activities, he has worked with a few teams and should fill in perfectly while my main man Tim is out," Johnson says.

With this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals at Atlanta looming as the next challenge of the season, Johnson has also added more wrenching and tuning help. "I've interviewed a handful of crew chiefs, one of which we're going to work with this weekend," he says. "Chemistry is an important part of any race team, and I've known that for a long time, but I saw it again this weekend at the NASCAR race in Talladega. So many of the top teams work just like a Swiss watch. With Snap-on aboard, we've got the support, I just need to buy the right watch parts."

“On Friday evening, when the conditions were really good, an ignition wire that runs across some sheet metal underneath the motorcycle’s skin was cut on a sharp edge, completely eliminating two cylinders, “It’s pretty tough out here when things are perfect, but when you’ve got two cylinders working, and everyone else has four, well, you can guess what kind of results you’re going to get and believe me, they aren’t good!

“On Saturday morning I wasn’t lined up on the starting line correctly, and that’s as much my fault as anyone’s, but just as bullets don’t go around corners, neither do Pro Stock Motorcycles, and when I left the bike was immediately going in the wrong direction, so I didn’t have a choice. I had to shut it down.” Johnson’s best effort came in the fourth and final session, but an elapsed time of 7.226 seconds was, in the world of drag racing, light years from making the cut of 7.179 seconds.

“This weekend was a major disappointment for our team,” he said as the crew prepped the motorcycle for Monday morning testing.  “We think we found some of our problems despite how poorly we performed, so we’re going to stick around and make some runs tomorrow. By the end of the day we should have a pretty good idea where we stand so that we can go into the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, OH in two weeks ready to rock. “We’ve got some big things happening at the Columbus race, so it’s important for us to perform up to our usual standards. We won two national events last year, including the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day, and we finished in the Top 10 in the standings. Right now we’re on the outside looking in, so the place for us to begin our comeback is Columbus.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.249/183.62 #12 (7.283 Bump)
Session #2: 14.504/51.08 #18 (7.225 Bump)
Session #3: 13.133/57.62 #18 (7.184 Bump)
Session #4: 7.226/184.80 #18 (7.179 Bump)

Next:  Testing at Atlanta Dragway, Monday May 8th

NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals, National Trail Raceway, Columbus, OH May 19-21

Columbus Pre Race Report

Pro Stock Motorcycle Racer Steve Johnson Teams with WyoTech to Rev Up Student Career Opportunities

Leading National Technical Training School Aligned With NHRA Drag Racing Standout

SANTA ANA, CA 5/15/06 - Timothy Schutz, president/COO of Titan Schools, Inc. (TSi), today announced the signing of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Steve Johnson t a five-race major sponsorship agreement. WyoTech, Inc. is a national leader in technical training for automotive and other technologies. TSi operates WyoTech campuses as a division of parent company, Corinthian Colleges, Inc.

We are thrilled to have a man of Steve’s character on our team, Shutz said from his offices in Santa Ana, California. “Steve brings a lot more to the table than just his ability to win races on the very competitive NHRA POWERade Series circuit. His dynamic personality and vast experience in making personal appearances at schools and other venues on behalf of his sponsors makes him an ideal spokesperson for WyoTech.”

Johnson, who recently signed a major sponsorship agreement with Snap-on Tools, feels the fit with WyoTech is ideal for both companies. “This is one of those marketing ‘marriages’ that you dream about,” he said. “I learned a long time ago that being associated with the top brands in their respective fields was the key to becoming successful. This is definitely one of those situations. Being aligned with a company that has the coolest and most technologically advanced schools I’ve ever seen while also being affiliated with the manufacturer of the best tools you can buy is something very special. I also think it’s relevant to point out that Snap-on Tools are used extensively throughout the WyoTech campuses, which is one more reason that our getting together like this is a natural. My association with WyoTech is going to encompass more than just carrying another sponsor’s name and logo on our Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle,” he continued. “We’ve already set up an extensive schedule of personal appearances for the balance of the year during which I’ll continue to impress on school-age youngsters the importance of staying in school. At the same time I’ll now be in the position of being able to give them solid advice on pursuing an automotive-related career,” said Johnson.

“With gas prices being as high as they are it’s my gut feeling that people are going to be continually searching for ways of saving money, and one way of doing that is by making sure your car, truck or motorcycle is in absolutely first class condition. That translates to an ever increasing demand for professionally trained technicians, in all fields, and that’s where a WyoTech education can come into the picture.”

Johnson will make five appearances in national event competition with WyoTech, including the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, OH May 19-21, the Mile-High Nationals in Denver July 14-16, the Fram Nationals in Sonoma, CA July 28-30, the Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, PA September 14-17 and the AC Delco Nationals in Las Vegas October 26-29.? In all other outings, Snap-on Tools will continue to be Johnson’s major sponsor, with WyoTech occupying an associate sponsorship position on his Suzuki.

“We’re looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Steve and NHRA drag racing,” Schutz added. “Drag racing is an extremely dynamic, exciting activity that includes participants and fans from across the age and demographic spectrums. We’ve seen Steve Johnson in action in a variety of situations, from racing to personal appearances, and he epitomizes the kind of thorough professionalism that’s the hallmark of the WyoTech experience. “Take my word for it,” Shutz concluded, “this is going to be an exciting season for both Steve Johnson and WyoTech, and we can’t wait to get started!”

WyoTech offers technical training for men and women eager to cash in on lucrative careers in automotive technology (including BMW Step), auto body, diesel, aviation, HVAC, chassis fabrication, high performance engines and motorcycles. WyoTech operates seven campuses nationwide, from Daytona, FL to Sacramento, Oakland and Fremont, CA to Laramie, WY, Blairsville, PA and Boston, MA. Among its recent graduates is Ms. Jessi Combs of Spike TV’s Xtreme 4X4 show.

For Additional Information or HiRes Photos of Steve Johnson’s WyoTech/Snap-on Tools Suzuki, Contact Laura at Steve Johnson Racing: (205) 956-4777

Five-Thousandths Of A Second Too Slow:
Johnson DNQs In Ohio

HEBRON, OH 5/21/06 -  Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Steve Johnson of Birmingham, AL had one of those good and bad weekends at the NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals at National Trail Raceway outside of Columbus.  The good news was that the debut of his new Snap-on Tools/WyoTech Suzuki couldn’t have gone much better from the promotional standpoint.  However, from the performance perspective things couldn’t have been much worse after he missed qualifying for eliminations by a very thin five thousandths of a second.

“In Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing,” Johnson said, “that five-thousandths might as well have been an hour!  When you’re not running hard enough to make the show, the margin doesn’t matter.  All that counts is that we didn’t make the cut, and we’re all pretty disappointed about it.”

To assist with the running of his Suzuki Johnson brought in noted tuner Justin Doucet on a consultancy basis, and after watching the team make four runs his report was short and to the point.  “There are a lot of little holes in this ‘boat,’” he said, “but the ship’s not sinking.  There’s a number of things we can do to turn things around, and we’ll start doing that Monday morning when we come back out to the track for testing.”

Johnson’s team entertained two regional Administrative Representatives from WyoTech, Eric Manley and Jeff Caron.  WyoTech is one of the nation’s leading technical training schools.  The team also entertained a number of students from area schools.

“What’s particularly disappointing to me,” Johnson added, “is that we made a number of really major tuning changes to the bike before every run, and nothing seemed to make any difference.  We tried different carburetor jetting, different gearing and even different ignition timing, but nothing seemed to make much of a change in our elapsed times when those changes really should have.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow when there won’t be so much time pressure on the team, and we can really think about the changes we want to make between runs.  It should be interesting.”

On Tuesday Johnson will make an appearance on behalf of Snap-on Tools with Regional Industrial Rep Dale Stahl at Northwestern University, but right now the most important thing on his mind is making good, solid runs on Monday.

“There’s no question about it,” he said.  “We haven’t performed up to the level we’re accustomed to, and it’s really bothering all of us.  The testing tomorrow should give us some direction, and with Justin’s we’re planning on turning our whole season around.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1:  7.162/186.12 #12 (7.188 Bump)
Session #2:  7.162/186.10 #14 (7.184 Bump)
Session #3:  7.159/185.46 #17 (7.154 Bump)
Session #4:  7.166/185.15 #17 (7.154 Bump)

Next:  Testing at National Trail Raceway, Monday, May 22nd

Personal appearance, Northwestern University, Tuesday, May 23rd
NHRA K&N Filters Supernationals, Englishtown, NJ June 15-18

Chicago Post Race Report

“We needed that fourth run,” Johnson readily admitted.  “We made the two best runs we’ve made all year in the second and third sessions, and were loaded for bear when we were told the fourth session wouldn’t happen. “Believe me, I’d like to point fingers and place blame, but what are you going to do?  I know there are a lot of other competitors who felt the same way I did, because there’s no curfew here in Joliet and the track has very good lighting for night racing, so why that fourth session was cancelled is something I just can’t answer.  Believe me, it’s really disappointing.”

Johnson’s first run on Friday afternoon was officially disqualified, but the reigning U.S. Nationals champion wanted everyone to know that while technically accurate, he didn’t want anyone t think he’d done anything “wrong.”  “On that first run our Snap-on Tools Suzuki left the starting line like a rocket, but when I hit second gear it almost got away from me, pulling me right over to the wall, so I had to lift.  We ended up with a nine second run, and there was no way that was going to be good enough to make the show, so I bypassed the fuel check area on the return road so we could get back to the pits and have that much more time to prep the bike for the second attempt.  When you skip fuel check or the scales, that’s an automatic disqualification, as it should be, but I just wanted everyone to know the real circumstances.

“Ya know,” he continued, “this has been one of those weeks where if they were doing a reality TV show on our team nobody would believe what they were seeing.  Our guys had to pick someone up at Midway Airport in Chicago a few days ago, and our tractor/trailer rig wasn’t designed for the narrow entry road.  I’ll skip the morbid details other than to say we’ve got some serious damage to our rig and left behind a couple of bent and broken highway signs.  And then, to come out here and go through this makes me wonder:  What’s a guy gotta do to catch a break?” Johnson’s second qualifying run on Friday evening netted an up-to-that-point season’s-best elapsed time of 7.138 seconds, which was only good enough for the 16th and final position in the field. “I knew that was a very good run even before I turned off the track,” Johnson said.  “Then, to find out we were still at the back of the pack, man, I knew we had to really dig deep for the third session on Saturday morning.”

Under grey skies with cool temperatures, Johnson and his crew delivered an even quicker elapsed time of 7.123 seconds, but alas, as he improved, so did everyone else, leaving him just short of the 7.119 second bump position. “This was a frustrating yet kinda encouraging weekend,” Johnson said.  “We didn’t make the show, but you could see the improvement in just about every aspect of our operation. “We’re going to stick around and do some testing on Monday, if we can, because I think with just another run or two we’ll be right in the thick of things, and that’s where we need to be.  We’ve got back-to-back races coming up in Englishtown, New Jersey and St. Louis, and we intend to make an impression on everyone at both of ‘em!”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 9.805/82.29 (DQ for failing to stop at fuel check.)
Session #2: 7.138/187.52 #16 (7.138 Bump)
Session #3: 7.123/186.51 #17 (7.119 Bump)

Next:  NHRA K&N Filters Super Nationals, Englishtown, NJ June 15-18
NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals, Madison, IL (St. Louis) June 23-25
 

Steve Celebrates 20th Year Of Pro Stock Motorcycle Racing
At E-Town

“In all honesty, the whole thing kinda snuck up on me,” Johnson said as his team prepared for their second of three back-to-back races. “When I first started out I thought I might race for a few years and then do something else, but drag racing just doesn’t let go. The competition, the camaraderie, and the fun of going 190 miles an hour on just two wheels gets into your blood. No matter how much we sometimes moan and groan about how tough things are in drag racing, I’d bet there aren’t many of us who would give it all up if we had the chance.

“Drag racing is like no other form of motorized competition I know of. We might not run as long as those guys do who go around in circles, but in a tick over seven seconds, believe me, nothing can produce the kind of thrills I get to experience at every race.” Johnson has been a winner on every circuit in which he’s competed. His resume includes two World Championships in the old Drag Bike USA series along with numerous wins in both AMA ProStar and NHRA POWERade competition. He’s also been a Finalist on the All-Star Drag Racing Team, and has been honored with such accolades as the Hazel Cobb Award. That singular honor came from the American Motorcycle Association for not only his non-stop promotion of all things motorcycle, but for his constant work with school age youngsters during which he emphasizes the importance of staying in school and setting personal goals for one’s self.

As an example of the esteem in which Johnson is held by his peers, he’s the president of PRO2, the organization that represents every Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor in their dealings with racing officials. “I’d have to say that last year was probably the most fun I’ve ever had in racing,” he says.  “We won the Gatornationals to kick off the season and then capped things off by winning the NHRA U.S. Nationals, the most important race of the season. That was definitely something special for all of us, and I’ll certainly never forget it.”

Johnson’s often outrageous statements and actions have endeared him to millions of fans (such as his “conversation” with his Gatornationals trophy as he awaited the official winners circle ceremony last year), and he’s also a media magnet. “I think that’s my fault,” he admits. “I really never know what I’m going to say until the words come tumbling out of my mouth. There’ve been a number of occasions when I had to ask myself, Did I really just say that? “I guess I should be PC (politically correct), but I just don’t have it in me.

“My goal remains what it’s been from my first day at the track.  Start out by qualifying, then win rounds of racing, then win races and finally, take home a championship. To a lot of people it might look like I’m just out here having fun, but behind all of the talk I’m still all about winning. The thing is, though, you’ve still got to have fun, no matter how tough things might be, so that’s what I’m going to do until the day I hang up my helmet – in about 20 more years!”

So, when you see Steve at Englishtown this weekend, tell him Happy Anniversary!

Next:  NHRA K&N Filters Super Nationals, Englishtown, NJ June 16-19

New Crew Chief Sparks Johnson’s Resurgence

“Last weekend,” Johnson said, “Mark was fishing about 2,000 miles away from our race in Englishtown, NJ, but through the marvel of modern communications – that would be cell phones – he helped tune our bike long distance.  Honestly, he did a better job from 2,000 miles away than I do with my hands right on the wrenches, so I’m convinced that from now on things are going to be better for our team. “This is truly a life-altering move for our race team, and I couldn’t be happier.  The fact that Mark and I are also personal friends is going to help, because even before he agreed to formally join the team our relationship was really tight, and this is just going to make thing even better.”

At Englishtown Johnson managed to cling to the 16th and final qualifying position before defeating Chip Ellis in the first round of eliminations.  He lost a tough one to Tom Bradford in the second round. At Gateway International this weekend Johnson qualified an improving 11th with a 7.167 second elapsed time, but it didn’t come easily.  With three rounds of qualifying completed he found himself on the outside looking in, but Peiser, who’d previously worked miracles for the U.S. Army team, dialed the Snap-on Tools Suzuki in perfectly for the last attempt, when it counted the most. “We struggled in the first three sessions because our setup isn’t exactly what Mark had hoped it would be.  We worked together on the tune-up, and changed a few things around and man, did Mark ever come through!”

Johnson used a superior Reaction Time and a stellar 7.183 second elapsed time (the third quickest of the first round of eliminations) to defeat former champion Geno Scali before pressing the Tree too hard and redlighting against Chip Ellis in the second. “I guess you could say we ‘owed him one’ after we beat Chip last weekend, but I could kick myself for fouling out by just nine thousandths of a second. “I just decided.  I will  kick myself!

“I think that Mark (Peiser) was the final ingredient we needed to make this team a winner, so we’re really looking forward to the remainder of the season.  We won two big races last year, and there’s plenty of time for us to not only duplicate that this year, but to maybe win even more than that. “Everyone on our team has more confidence today than we had a couple of weeks ago, and we’re all working together better than we had been earlier in the season.  There’s still plenty of time for us to crack the POWERade Top 10, so that’s our main goal for the rest of the year. “Ya know, racers always mention their sponsors, and I’m no different than the next guy, but for us it’s almost more about relationships than it is about business.  Our backers, from Snap-on Tools to WyoTech, Suzuki, Mickey Thompson tires, Simpson and Web Cams and all of the others, have been incredibly supportive as we’ve sorted things out this year, and I can’t thank them enough for that.  Not once have we ever experienced the slightest bit of doubt about our ability to get back on track.  Now that we’re there, the sky’s the limit. “I can’t wait for the Mile-High Nationals in Denver on July 14th!”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.677/136.65 #20 (7.262 Bump)
Session #2: 8.232/114.05 #21 (7.262 Bump)
Session #3: 7.250/184.14 #18 (7.224 Bump)
Session #4: 7.167/186.30 #11 (7.209 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1 0.033 R.T. 7.183/184.40 defeated Geno Scali 0.054 R.T. 7.273/183.24
Round #2 -0.009 R.T. 7.226/182.33 lost to Chip Ellis 0.023 R.T. 7.137/186.00

Next:  NHRA Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, CO (Denver), July 14-16

Speed Ultimately Determines Qualifying

“That was a close one,” admitted Johnson after qualifying ended on a Saturday afternoon that saw triple digit temperatures at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado.  Downtown Denver is just minutes from the track, and is in plain view from the track, making it one of the most picturesque on the NHRA POWERade Series tour.  “We struggled in the altitude,” Johnson went on to say, “but we weren’t alone.  Every inline four cylinder Suzuki motorcycle out here was at a distinct disadvantage against the V-Twin Harleys and Buels, who ultimately had something like nine hundredths of a second edge over the rest of us.  Remember, those V-Twins run 160 cubic inch engines while we’re limited to 101, and in this thin air that makes a tremendous difference.”

Crew Chief Mark Peiser made his second official outing with Johnson, with his input proving to be critically important to the Snap-on Tools/WyoTech Suzuki making the field.  “We were trying to make consistent runs,” he said, “and while we managed to do that, we just weren’t quick enough to be a factor in this race.  Every competitor on a Suzuki was at a disadvantage here, but when we make our next outing at a track closer to sea level things should be different.”

Johnson had another busy week, first reading to and explaining drag racing to 200 school age youngsters at a library in Irondale, Alabama on Wednesday, and then hosting students, faculty and administrators from the WyoTech school in Laramie, Wyoming over the weekend.  “We had students and teachers from the WyoTech automotive, diesel and chassis fabrication classes here with us, and that’s always a lot of fun for me.  While they were knowledgeable about pretty much everything related to the cars and motorcycles in competition, some of them had never been to a race before, and I think they came away with a very positive impression of professional drag racing, which is something I always want to try and accomplish.

“In our first round race against Chip Ellis we just wanted to go up to the starting line and make as good a run as we could.  We knew we couldn’t match him in terms of power, but if we made a good run and he had a problem, or made an error, I thought we had a chance of advancing, but that didn’t happen.

“Naturally, I’m a little disappointed in the outcome, but at the same time I’m really stoked about how well the team is jelling with Mark calling the shots, and I’m confident we’ll play a more important role in the outcome of our next race, which is in Sonoma, California in a couple of weeks.  At sea level our Suzuki ought to have more than enough power to make an impression on the field.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.534/178.42 #10 (7.640 Bump)
Session #2: 7.521/178.47 #12 (7.572 Bump)
Session #3: 7.565/177.70 #14 (7.526 Bump)
Session #4: 7.522/178.40 #16 (7.521 Bump)

Eliminations:

 Round #1 0.059 R.T. 7.688/175.34 lost to Chip Ellis 0.038 R.T. 7.370/179.59

Next:  Fram Autolite Nationals, Infineon Raceway. Sonoma, California July 28-30

“Oh, man, that’s me, isn’t it?

“I hate making excuses, but I did make a tactical error in changing the face shield on my helmet.  I went to a little darker color, and that slightly altered how the lights appeared to me.  I thought I left on a solid yellow light, but it came up red, so that’s all there is to say.

“But, let me quickly add that our new crew chief, Mark Peiser, was the key to everything we did this weekend.  He did an awesome job in tuning our Suzuki for the conditions, and the proof’s right there in our time slips.  We ran a career best in qualifying and then ran an even quicker number in the first round (7.063 seconds).  Just to be a part of the quickest field in Pro Stock Motorcycle history was a big honor for me personally, and the way things have been going, believe me, I can’t wait for our next race in Minnesota on August 10th.”

Prior to the Fram Autolite Nationals Johnson’s quickest elapsed time of 7.077 seconds was notched at last year’s Gatornationals, where he scored his second major POWERade Series victory.  His personal best speed mark of 192.91 mph, recorded at last year’s U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where he was also victorious, remains on the books, but as he said, “I’d like nothing better than to break that record in Minnesota.  If not there, then why not at Indy?  That would be really cool.”

Johnson was present last Tuesday for the joint announcement naming WyoTech the Official Technical School of the NHRA, terming the press conference “a home run.  We had lots of media present, and I think everyone came away with a very good feeling about this new relationship between drag racing’s largest sanctioning organization and WyoTech.  Each is an obvious leader in their respective fields, so I’m looking forward to their working together in the months ahead.”

Although obviously disappointed by his foul start in the second round, Johnson was also philosophical about the outcome.  “Based on the numbers, my only hope of beating Antron (Brown) was to have had at least a double zero Reaction Time, or better yet, a perfect light, but that doesn’t happen very often.  Next time it’s my turn!”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.114/188.20 #12 (7.242 Bump)
Session #2: 7.155/185.74 #12 (7.220 Bump)
Session #3: 7.080/188.44 #11 (7.208 Bump)
Session #4: 7.072/190.06 #11 (7.096 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1 0.017 R.T. 7.063*/189.52 defeated Geno Scali 0.078 R.T. 7.064/189.52
*Career-best elapsed time.
Round #2 -0.032 R.T. (Foul) 7.078/189.52 lost to Antron Brown 0.045 R.T. 7.034/190.83

Next:  NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, MN, August 10-13

Johnson Makes Final Round Appearance In Brainerd:

“I can’t say enough about the fantastic job my team, and our crew chief, Mark Peiser, did this weekend,” Johnson said after losing a tough final to his good buddy, Antron Brown.  “Our Snap-on Tools Suzuki performed well during qualifying, and we definitely got lucky during eliminations, but when it counted the most we ran our two best elapsed times, and that’s the kind of results you need if you hope to reach the winners circle.

“Because these motorcycles react so quickly when you let out the clutch it’s very easy to redlight and throw a race away with a foul start.  I ‘pushed’ the lights a little in the first round (with a 0.006-second Reaction Time), but we got lucky because Chris (Rivas) redlighted.  I backed off a little in the next three rounds because I didn’t want to throw this opportunity away, and it paid off.

“I knew Antron (Brown) had a good bike, and I knew he wouldn’t make a mistake in the finale.  I got the jump on him on the starting line by so little that it didn’t even matter.  Today he had the better motorcycle, but we’re getting there.  I think we can run with anyone, so the rest of the season’s going to be really exciting for us.”

Johnson once again had a busy week, appearing and speaking before a large gathering of WyoTech instructors during their annual meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday, and then addressing 70 high school instructors in Minnesota on Thursday.  On Sunday Johnson was an integral part of Snap-on Tools’ “Day At The Races” program, which included 600 Snap-on Tools franchisees and their best customers.

“I love making those appearances, and, as everyone knows, I love talking,” Johnson said, “so that wasn’t work for me, it was fun.  I really get a kick out of talking about the positive aspects of motorsports involvement to the WyoTech folks because they’re relatively new to the sport.  Being involved with companies like Snap-on Tools and WyoTech is a dream come true for a guy like me.”

Johnson won’t have much time off, as the series moves to Memphis, TN next weekend, but he’ll be ready.  “We’ll probably spend a couple of hours quietly celebrating reaching the final round here, but then our sites will be set on next weekend.  We proved this weekend that we’re ready to race anyone, and the best way of proving that is by making it to the winners circle.  That’s just one step away from where we are now, and I’m hoping we can make that leap next weekend.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.228/185.46 #13 (7.264 Bump)
Session #2: 7.162/185.46 #8 (7.222 Bump)
Session #3: 7.200/185.08 #10 (7.203 Bump)
Session #4:  Did not participate. #10 (7.203 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1: 0.006 R.T. 7.201/185.64 defeated Chris Rivas -.0.024 R.T. 7.165/184.60
Round #2: 0.063 R.T. 7.151/183.00 defeated Marco Andreano -0.239 R.T. 7.230/180.31
Round #3: 0.061 R.T. 7.173/186.77 defeated Ryan Schnitz 0.033 R.T. 7.381/179.97
Round #4: 0.029 R.T. 7.159/187.60 lost to Antron Brown 0.030 7.108/186.85

Next:  NHRA O’Reilly’s Mid-South Nationals, Memphis, TN August 18-20

Johnson Edges Closer To The Top 10 With Runner-up Performance

“We’re certainly pleased with the way things worked out at the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway over the weekend,” Johnson admitted, “but we’ve still got a long way to go to reach our goal of making it into the Top 10.  The men – and women – who are ahead of us in the standings are tough, capable racers who aren’t likely to make mistakes on the track.  If we hope to improve we’ve got to do it ourselves.

“We had a great weekend in Minnesota, thanks to some luck and the efforts of our crew, led by our head man, Mark Peiser.  Since he joined our operation full time Mark’s played an integral role in our successes, but he can’t do it alone.  The old cliché is that there’s no ‘I’ in team, but regardless of that, I’m the one driving our Snap-on Tools Suzuki, so it’s up to me to avoid mistakes on the starting line.  If I do my job the way I’m supposed to, and our guys do theirs, I think we can continue to improve.”

Johnson was ranked 15th coming in to the Lucas Oil Nationals, where his impressive runner-up finish earned him 92 points and vaulted him past Shawn Gann and Michael Phillips.  Straight ahead sits GT Tonglet, 25 markers in front of Johnson.  Craig Treble, currently 10th, is 59 points ahead, a considerable margin, but nevertheless still within reach.

“I honestly don’t think we can reach the Top 10 at the O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis this coming weekend,” Johnson said.  “But, if we can keep whittling away at the margin, we could make it by the time the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals rolls around at Indy over Labor Day weekend.”

Johnson, who was belatedly named the winner of last year’s U.S. Nationals after a television replay clearly showed his Suzuki ahead of his competitor at the finish line, would like nothing better than to be able to celebrate another victory at the year’s most prestigious event.

“Winning the U.S. Nationals was probably the highlight of my career,” he says, “but last year we didn’t get to celebrate with our fans because we weren’t officially declared the winner until the next day.  Winning that race again will be extremely difficult because the level of competition has definitely increased, but we’re going to go all out to do just that – and get back into the Top 10 at the same time!”

“I might be feeling a little down,” admitted the popular Snap-on Tools Suzuki handler, “but by tomorrow morning I’ll be all smiles again.  The U.S. Nationals are just two weeks away, and we’re the defending champions.

“Losing to Chip Ellis in the first round was tough, but you’ve got to hand it to the guy.  He had a near-perfect Reaction Time, and that, combined with his motorcycle being a tick quicker than ours, is all it took.  It was his day today, just like I hope it’ll be ours at Indy.”

Johnson acknowledges that a pinch more horsepower is all his Suzuki needs to make it a top contender, and he’s hoping that appears in time for the U.S. Nationals.  “Right now we’re a couple of hundredths of a second from where we want to be, but I’ve got complete confidence in our team, and our crew chief, Mark Peiser,” Johnson said.

Johnson had a somewhat conservative Reaction Time against Ellis of 0.029 seconds, a full two hundredths of second slower, but as he said, “Coming into the race against Chip I knew his bike had been quicker than ours in qualifying, but at the same time I didn’t want to throw away our chances by redlighting.”

Johnson’s team is likely to head to Indianapolis for pre-U.S. Nationals testing early in the week, but in the meantime they’ll remain in Memphis to watch the remainder of eliminations tomorrow morning, as the race was rained out before the first round of Pro Stock Motorcycle had even been completed.

“I guess I could say I wish I was one of the guys who still had a first round race,” he said, “but the outcome probably would have been the same.

“This just makes me more determined than ever to run hard at Indy.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.199/185.95 #14 (7.231 Bump)
Session #2: 7.170/186.41 #12 (7.186 Bump)
Session #3: 7.276/182.66 #12 (7.186 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1: 0.029 R.T. 7.238/184.55 lost to Chip Ellis 0.009 R.T. 7.227/182.60

Next:  NHRA U.S. Nationals, O’Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Indiana September 1-4

IRONDALE, AL - Snap-on Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Steve Johnson set an unofficial and unwanted NHRA record last year at the U.S. Nationals: longest time between taking a green light and winning a race. In the final round, Johnson thought he had crossed the finish line ahead of Matt Smith, then was informed that Smith had in fact won the race. Twenty-six hours later, the NHRA told Johnson that it had reversed its earlier decision and declared him the winner of the biggest race of the year. "For 19 years I'd dreamed about winning this race, and about being in the Winner's Circle, and I got 50 percent of it. But I got the most important 50 percent," Johnson said.

Taking the finals at Indy is the biggest win any drag racer can have, but Johnson accomplished his win without full sponsorship or a full-time crew chief. A year later, Johnson returns to Indy with Snap-on Tools as his sponsor, Mark Peiser as his crew chief, and a burning desire to repeat as Indy champion. "I do not have a bigger personal goal than qualifying for and winning this race," Johnson says. "It's our Super Bowl, our Daytona 500."

This year, Johnson's goal is to score another win, although one without the drama of last year's title. He and his team have turned wrenches, tested and re-tested and logged countless hours of garage time in preparation for this weekend's race. "Besides getting all the points, winning this race for the second consecutive year would just be the coolest thing in my team's career. Mark Peiser, Tim Kulungian and Richie Willey have all been working night and day to get us ready. Now we need to close the deal. We did it last year, and I know we can do it again."

Johnson will be hosting students in his pit area from local schools and the NHRA YES program.

For more information and Hi-Res images of Steve Johnson and his Snap-on Tools Suzuki, contact:

Laura
Steve Johnson Racing
2551 Ruffner Court
Irondale, Alabama 35210
205-956-4777
Fax: 205-956-4707
laura@stevejohnsonracing.com

Dreams are one thing, reality another.  After a promising qualifying effort that included a best of 7.092 seconds, Johnson’s hopes were dashed by Paul Gast in the first round when his colorful red and black Snap-on Tools Suzuki dropped off the pace with a 7.152 second elapsed time.

“I don’t know where that came from,” a very disappointed Johnson said at the finish line.  “(Crew chief) Mark Peiser and the guys did an excellent job prepping the bike and we all thought we had the right combination for race day, so the only thing I can say is that I guess we were wrong.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am.  There were a lot of very strong motorcycles out here, and I’d be less than honest if I said I thought we’d have an easy time of it in winning the race.  But, I did think we could give everyone a real run for the money, and to come up short in the first round is kind of a major blow to our collective egos.

“It also proves that we still have a long way to go.  We’re competitive, yes, but we aren’t yet where we need to be, which is at the top of the qualifier’s list, and we’re still hanging right around the middle of the pack.

“I have the utmost confidence in Mark’s ability to get us the rest of the way there, and I do feel that we’re improving with each passing race.  Now we’ll have to dig a little deeper so that in our next outing at Maple Grove Raceway we come up with more positive results.”

Johnson had another one of those busy weekends, even providing color commentary for 1320TV.com’s coverage of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, and event he vows to return to in 2007.  “The Battle is a very special race,” he said, “and we’re going to be in it next year.  We’ve started out by earning some good points towards that goal right here this weekend, and if we can keep it up the way I’m confident we will, we’ll be in the thick of the action next labor Day weekend.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.178/183.89 #14 (7.211 Bump)
Session #2: 7.092/185.95   #8 (7.123 Bump)
Session #3: 7.216/183.42   #8 (7.123 Bump)
Session #4: 7.137/184.72 #10 (7.117 Bump)
Session #5: 7.156/183.52 #10 (7.117 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1: 0.062 R.T. 7.152/184.19 lost to Paul Gast 0.020 R.T. 7.068/185.31

Next:  NHRA Toyo Tires Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pennsylvania September 14 - 17

IRONDALE, AL - Last year’s U.S. Nationals champion Steve Johnson started the 2006 season by announcing full sponsorship by Snap on for his Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle, only to suffer through an uncharacteristically problematic season. But the approach of this weekend’s Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, Penn. means there are three races left on the NHRA calendar, and Johnson intends to make the most of those three races.

"These last three races are so important for us,” Johnson says. “My crew chief Mark Peiser and the guys in the crew completely went through our Snap-on Suzuki. If confidence means anything, I know our motorcycle is prepped and ready to go.”

Johnson says that with today’s level of competition in NHRA, teams have to unload from the trailer locked and ready. “Qualifying is such a big deal nowadays. For so many years we all took it for granted, but there are just too many well-funded and hungry racers right now that you can’t do that anymore. I don't see that competition diminishing, so we’ve got to be at the top of our game from the start. And we will.”

This weekend’s location also gives Johnson a chance to work with tech training school WyoTech, an associate sponsor of his race team. WyoTech has a campus in nearby Blairsville, and Johnson and the school will be working with local students to give them a look at what goes into fielding a Pro Stock Motorcycle.

"WyoTech and I will be hosting some students through the Y.E.S. Program in Reading.  It's such a cool program because the students get to see first-hand what the inside of a rig looks like and what the guys are doing to the motorcycle,” Johnson says.

MEDIA CONTACT: Laura@SteveJohnsonRacing.com
Steve Johnson Racing
2551 Ruffner Court
Birmingham, AL 35210

205-956-4777

“You know, nobody ‘wins’ in a rainout situation,” Johnson said following the first round of eliminations on Sunday afternoon.  “Even though the grandstands were packed with fans all three days this time around there’s just something about the atmosphere of a rainout that’s just somehow different.  I can’t explain it in any other way.  It’s just different.

“I’m extremely proud of my team, and that begins with crew chief Mark Peiser.  Everyone worked incredibly hard this weekend, and it paid off with a career best elapsed time for both Mark and myself, and while that’s certainly something to be pleased about, I certainly can’t say the same thing about what happened in the first round.

“Mark and I have taken a very close look at the video replays of my red light start, and it appears that I simply staged too shallowly.  That means I didn’t move into the second and final staging beam fully enough. I just got too much of a run at the lights, so when I let the clutch out the bike moved quicker than I anticipated it would, and that was that.

“When we’re running as good as we are right now it means we’re going to have to slightly alter our whole approach to racing.  When our Snap-on Tools Suzuki reacted a little slower, as it did in the past, I could really ‘push’ the starting line lights.  I can’t do that now.  I’m going to have to stage with more care than ever before, and I just wish I would have realized that before the first round!”

The three runs Johnson made during qualifying all eclipsed his previous career best elapsed time of 7.072 seconds, which was recorded at this year’s Fram Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, CA at the end of July.  He opened with a 7.061 second run, improved that to a 7.040 and then capped off qualifying with a super-strong 7.001 second run that netted him the Number 6 qualifying position in the quickest Pro Stock Motorcycle field in NHRA history.

“What really bothers me about this,” Johnson added “is that we literally gave away 20 POWERade points with that red light, and at this point in the season we just can’t afford to do that.

“I learned a valuable lesson today, and won’t make the same staging error again.  When your Mickey Thompson drag tire is at about 130-degrees after the burnout, and your Suzuki is making the kind of power that Mark (Peiser) is generating, you’ve got to be all the way into the beam, and then get ready to race.  We’ll be ready to do just that when we get to the AC Delco Nationals in Las Vegas at the end of the month!”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.061/188.73   #9 (7.233 Bump)
Session #2: 7.040/187.11 #10 (7.110 Bump)
Session #3: 7.001/188.70    #6 (7.050 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1 -0.162 R.T. 7.179/188.17 (red light) lost to Antron Brown 0.012 R.T. 7.107/1896.64

Next: NHRA AC Delco Nationals, Las Vegas, October 26-29

“Now that we’ve got the power to win races I’ve got to bring a whole different mental approach to racing,” added Johnson in obvious frustration.  “Two weeks ago we lost because of a staging issue, but this time around it was nothing short of a mental problem – mine.  I wish I could point a finger of blame at someone or some thing.  You know, maybe some mechanical problem, or breakage, but that’s just not the case.  I blew this one, plain and simple. “We were in Las Vegas, where everything’s a gamble, and for us everything came up snake eyes.  I know I can fix this problem.  A quick visit to any licensed psychiatrist will solve this!”

While Johnson tried to make light of his plight, his frustration was obvious.  After a very good 2005 season during which he won two of the most important races of the year he’ll be heading into the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, California in two weeks with just one chance remaining in which to earn a victory. “I’m not about to start spouting clichés about how hard everyone’s been working and stuff like that, because our guys always work hard.  If we’re going to succeed in California in two weeks it’s going to be up to me to get the job done, and I am determined that there won’t be a repetition of what our fans saw in these last two races.

“As of this moment you’ve heard the last from me about the AC Delco Nationals.  I’m not about looking back, I’m about looking forward, and that means the Finals in two weeks. There’s going to be a lot of talk about the racers still in contention for the championship, but our goal is to steal some of their thunder by out-running those contenders on the track.  We’ve got the power to be extremely competitive.  Now it’s up to the driver to deliver, and that’s what I intend to do!”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.264/185.03 #15 (7.278 Bump)
Session #2: 7.380/183.54 #19 (7.201 Bump)
Session #3: 7.147/186.36 #10 (7.169 Bump)
Session #4: 7.267/181.06 #10 (7.166 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1 -0.109 R.T. (Redlight, no elapsed time or speed), lost to Antron Brown (-0.032 R.T. 7.185/184.95)

Next:  NHRA AAA Finals, Pomona, CA, Nov. 9-12

Getting Ready For '07

“Hindsight is always 20/20, but if I could change one thing about this season it would be to have had Mark Peiser, our crew chief, with us for the whole year.  He’s done an exceptional job for the team, and we’re looking forward to the so-called ‘off-season’ so we can prepare our equipment for the next campaign. “The level of competition in Pro Stock Motorcycle is stiffer than ever, and if we hope to be competitive next year I can boil it down to one simple thing:  We need about a tenth of a second in elapsed time improvement to be right in the thick of every race. “Our Snap-on Tools Suzuki had more power than I’ve ever had before, thanks to Mark, and that forced me to change my racing approach not once, but twice as the season neared the end, and those were tough transitions to make.  I believe we’ve got those problems solved now, so I’m already looking forward to our first race in Florida in March.”

That tenth of a second Johnson hopes to find is within reach, according to Peiser.  “We’re close right now,” he said.  “We’ve got more than three months to go over every nut and bolt, every line, every wire and every piece of our engines, and I’m absolutely sure we can find the horsepower we need to be competitive with the best riders in the field. “Steve has something going for him that I don’t think anyone in the field can match, and that’s racing experience.  There’s no substitute for making hundreds of runs down the track, and he’s already done that in his 20-plus years as a competitor.  If we can give him the horsepower he needs, this Snap-on Tools Suzuki is going to be one very tough motorcycle in 2007.”

Johnson’s team is already headed back to the race shop in Birmingham, AL where he and Peiser will join them in a few days, and the heavy work will commence.  As the team owner put it, “Working in the shop isn’t very glamorous, but that’s where races are won.  I’m extremely lucky in that everyone on this team is also excited about the possibilities for next year.  Now our job is going to be to make the most of our time, and hit the track in March ready to win.”

Results:

Qualifying:

Session #1: 7.109/187.08 #11 (7.179 Bump)
Session #2: 7.185/180.33 #12 (7.149 Bump)
Session #3: 7.115/187.44 #12 (7.142 Bump)
Session #4: 7.136/187.60 #12 (7.142 Bump)

Eliminations:

Round #1 0.082 R.T. 7.154/189.31 lost to Matt Guidera 0.103 R.T. 7.048/186.54

Next:  Engine building, trackside testing.